Does anyone know what works best against babesia duncani. I have been at this for over one year now. I have taken high dosages and it still seems that I have symptoms.
Does anyone have a clue what works best and how long you typically have to take it.
Do most people come off the drugs for babs or is it something you have to treat forever?
Thanks!
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Not clear if you are saying you have been on malarone or mepron for a year.
Malarone did not work better for me against B. duncani. Mepron + a course of artemesinin did the trick. Three months of mepron, after 5 months of malarone (low dose).
Some people though have had to try other things. We all seem to be different in response to treatment for TBDs. Have a look a groovy's posts on this subject. And coartem is a new malaria drug now available in the U.S. Some babesia cases have been prescribed coartem recently.
Posted by Brandimc (Member # 22017) on :
Im curious too
Posted by Katrina (Member # 15236) on :
Thanks you guys for responding.
I have been on Mepron 4tsp daily for about one year along with either zithromax or biaxin.
Just recently I did two rounds of coartem. I didn't see any big improvement. I have done Malarone pulsed for 3 days followed by low dose for about 1 month prior to the Mepron.
Been off Mepron since August and just treated with coartem twice and many symptoms are coming back ... elevated heart rates, dizziness, large muscles in arms hurt..extream fatigue..
I don't know where to turn. Treated for lyme for 4 years before I ever realized I have babesia duncani. I thought after treatment I would see a big improvement. I have done much better but now I seem to be back sliding.
Wondering if how long it takes to get rid of this stuff.
Lou how long before you were treated for babesia.. does it make a difference in how long it takes to get better.
Thanks again!!
Katrina
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
I have been on MEpron Zith Dr. Zhangs Art for 23 months now.
Last night, woke up a little sweaty (nothing like before though).
My LLMD said some patients that have to take the Mepron 2-3 years. She said she has tried switching them to malarone, and it doesn't seem to work as well.
But, everyone is different.
Mepron should be going generic soon, I believe the patent expires this year...
Posted by Katrina (Member # 15236) on :
Thanks amanda,
I think I have spoke to you before.
Maybe I will have to go back on Mepron. I thought I was done with that stuff.
Can I ask how much you are taking?
Have you been diagnosed with anything else? That will be great when Mepron goes generic. That medication is so expensive and many people just cannot afford to treat.
How well are you funcioning over-all. Have you seen much improvement. Do most people overcome babesia duncani?
Thanks so much!
Katrina
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
At least one doctor is saying you need to add artemisinin to Mepron for duncani.
Personally, Malarone seems better for me than Mepron.
I think it depends on the person.
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
katrina, i had babesia for several years before getting any treatment. The interesting thing was that the babesia symptoms did not manifest themselves until the lyme got worse. For two years, it was only knee problem. No babesia symptoms. Then lyme got a whole lot worse, and the babesia showed up. So, what does this mean? Immune system held it down until lyme stomped the immune system?
Some people have also tried lariam and primaquine.
Where did you get the coartem? It is apparently not easy to find. And how long was your treatment with coartem? I am reading that it is a three day treatment, at least for malaria.
Posted by Katrina (Member # 15236) on :
Hi Lou,
The coartem was hard to find here even though it was approved in April. I found it at CanadaDrugs.com
I took 4 tabs twice a day for 3 days...I did this about 4 weeks apart.
Unfortunately, I also took factive last week following the riamet... now I feel really bad and don't know if its from the riamet or the factive.
The first time I took the Riamet I had no problems.
Thanks for responding,
Katrina
Posted by ping (Member # 6974) on :
quote:Originally posted by Amanda: Mepron should be going generic soon, I believe the patent expires this year...
Amanda - You mean 2010, right? Oh how wonderful! How ridiculously expensive can yellow snot in a bottle get! It does help me to do a round or 2 ever once in a while.
ping "We are more than containers for Lyme"
Posted by suki444 (Member # 18960) on :
Hi Katrina I think some people respond to different meds for Babs, or to higher doses.
You should add adding Zhangs artemesiae /or Artemesinin to the Mepron combo. Also consider adding clindamycin ( tho if adding this be careful about increased probiotics to stop c.diff infection).
Sometimes it can be trial and error with what these malarial infections are sensitive to.
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
I now take one TABLEspoon Mepron 2 x a day, along with zith, Dr. Zhang Art, ceftin and bicillin shots.
At this point, we think its just lyme and Babs, but we are considering erhlichia because of chronic low WBC counts.
Truthfully, I don't have much in the way of bad symptoms from the Babesea now. But the problem is that the Babs is knocking down my immune system, which is making it impossible to get over the lyme. I whish I had money for IV right now...
As for the patent on Mepron, I thought it was the end of 2009. I read it here
According to http://www.generics web.com/index. php?object_ id=726, Mepron has numerous patents, and one has already expired in the U.S. Patents in other parts of the world have already expired. Note that dates in the table that provides patent numbers and expiration dates are provided in the day/month/year format.
But, I know those things are complicated. And sometimes they can extend patents
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How ridiculously expensive can yellow snot in a bottle get! It does help me to do a round or 2 ever once in a while.